78/52

78/52 is currently streaming in the US on Philo and AMC Plus Apple TV Channel , and in the UK on Sundance Now Amazon Channel, and it treats its subject with more rigour than the format usually demands. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Rigorous in a way documentary storytelling does not always commit to. Put it on tonight on Philo and see for yourself.

There is a reason 78/52 keeps coming up in conversation. What makes 78/52 work is a willingness to sit with complexity instead of resolving it neatly. The most famous murder scene in movie history comprises 78 camera settings and 52 cuts: the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. 78/52 tells the story of the man behind the curtain and his greatest obsession. Emilie Germain and Osgood Perkins give the storytelling a level of trust that shows. It hit screens in 2017. What elevates 78/52 above most documentary work is a refusal to settle for the easy version of the story. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Documentary fans who value serious storytelling will find 78/52 essential viewing. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. The access the production gets is remarkable, and the storytelling does full justice to it. Worth watching in order, from the beginning.

78/52 was released in 2017, directed by Alexandre O. Philippe. The full 91-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.